Chapter 16

Steve was a little worried as he parked in front of Eden’s newly purchased house on Chestnut Drive. A week ago, she’d made an unconditional offer. Within hours, the offer had been accepted. And, from the looks of things, she was now the proud owner of a disaster waiting to happen.

He admired her determination to find somewhere to live, but he was shocked by the amount of work the house needed. Stepping out of his truck didn’t make the cottage look any better.

Eden was waiting for him and Rex on the front veranda. “Thanks for coming, Steve. I really appreciate your help.”

Rex trotted beside him with his tail wagging.

“You’re welcome, but I wish you’d told me about the house sooner.” He scrutinized the underside of the veranda. Some of the main support beams needed to be replaced. It wouldn’t be a big job but, unless Eden did it soon, the entire structure could come down on someone’s head.

She looked at where he was staring and frowned. “I didn’t want to tell anyone in case the offer fell through. Is there something wrong?”

Steve made a non-committal grunt. “Nothing that a few pieces of wood won’t fix.” He looked at the front door. He’d bet a week’s pay that it was warped. “I’m a little surprised you bought this house. It’s pretty run down.”

Eden stepped inside the house and looked around the living room. At least the worry in her eyes meant she’d considered all the work that needed to be done. “It needs some careful remodeling, but it has potential.”

Steve didn’t bother to remind her that most things had potential. But that usually came with an enormous price tag. “What kind of a budget do you have for fixing up the house?”

Eden bit her bottom lip. “I can only afford to do the basics. If the remodeling can be done for less than fifteen thousand dollars, I’ll be happy.”

From what Steve had seen so far, Eden’s budget would only cover the structural repairs. “You’ll have to be creative.”

For some reason, that made Eden smile. “I can be incredibly creative. Even though I don’t have a sewing machine anymore, I know how to make curtains. I’ve painted two apartments and helped a friend hang wallpaper. I’ve even unblocked a drain.”

Steve didn’t want to burst her bubble of enthusiasm, but new curtains and painting a wall were the least of her worries. “All right. Let’s go through the cottage room by room and make a list of what needs to be done.”

They started in the living room, examining the walls, windows, and flooring. Steve pointed out the areas that needed immediate attention, like the windows that didn’t close properly, the damaged ceiling, and the peeling paint on the walls. He also noted some positives, like the original hardwood floors and the fireplace that could be a focal point once it was cleaned up.

Eden wrote down everything they discussed in a notebook. Before they left the living room, she added color-coded stickers to each entry. He had no idea why, but she seemed happy with her process.

In the kitchen, they discussed the outdated cabinets and appliances. “These will need to be replaced,” Steve said, “but the layout is good. You’ve got plenty of space to work with.”

Eden opened a drawer. “To save money, could I paint the cabinets and only replace the counter?”

“You could,” he said a little dubiously. “But it’ll take a lot of work to get them to the stage when you want to put dishes and food inside them.”

Eden wrote something in her notebook, her determination evident despite the overwhelmed look in her eyes. “I don’t mind if it’s a lot of work. I can make them look wonderful again.”

Steve doubted if they’d ever looked wonderful, but he was here to help Eden, not point out that she was being overly optimistic.

In the bathroom, they found a leaky faucet and cracked tiles, but the plumbing seemed sound. “You’ll need new fixtures and tiles, but the basics are okay,” he reassured her.

As they moved to the bedrooms, Steve noticed Eden’s excitement returning. “The bedrooms are a good size,” she said, her voice filled with hope. “I can picture how I want to decorate them already.”

He smiled as she stood in the middle of one of the rooms, pointing out where the bed would go and imagining what the perfect chandelier would look like. “I like your ideas,” he told her. “It won’t take too much time to make the changes you want.”

In the last bedroom, Steve discovered a ladder in the closet. He climbed up, finding a surprisingly spacious area under the roof that could be used for storage or even a decent sized office. “This is a bonus,” he said through the hatch in the ceiling. “The house has more space than you thought.”

Eden’s eyes lit up. “That’s fantastic! I didn’t even realize there was an attic. Can I come up?”

Steve moved away from the hatch. “Sure. Just watch your shoulders as you come through the opening. There’s a nail sticking out of the left-hand side.”

With her excitement mounting, Eden clambered up the ladder and turned on the flashlight on her phone. “Oh, wow. This is awesome. Could I remove the closet and put in a proper staircase?”

“You could, but it might push you over your budget.”

Eden’s smile faded, and Steve felt bad.

“Why don’t you add it to your list and we’ll work out how much it’ll cost. If you can find a secondhand staircase, you’d save a lot of money.”

Before they left the attic, he used the light from Eden’s phone and took a few photos. Some of the guys in the tiny home construction crew would know how to create a livable attic without it costing a fortune. If they didn’t, he’d call someone else to give Eden an idea of what it would cost.

As she stood on the top rung of the ladder, Eden took another look around the dusty attic. “I’ve always wanted my own library,” she said wistfully. “This would be perfect. I might even be able to afford a skylight or a dormer window. If the staircase was wide enough, I could bring a couple of big, comfy leather chairs up here and fill the space with books and crystals.”

Steve looked around the empty space. He could see what Eden wanted to do with it, but it might have to wait.

Eden sighed as she stepped down the ladder. “At least dreams are free.”

After they’d finished their inspection, they returned to the living room. Eden looked at the list of tasks they’d compiled. “It’s a lot, but I can do it.”

Steve kept himself busy by folding the ladder in half. If they’d been here two weeks ago, he would have hugged Eden and told her anything was possible. But, after telling her about his sculptures, he was wary of getting close to her until he told her everything.

“You don’t have to remodel the house on your own,” he said. “I’ll help, and we can get some friends involved too. It’ll be more fun and cost a lot less.”

Tears filled Eden’s eyes, but she blinked them away, smiling gratefully. “Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your help.”

“I just have one important question,” he told her. “Where are you going to live while you’re doing the repairs? Will you stay with John and Shelley or move into The Welcome Center?”

“I’ll move into The Welcome Center,” Eden told him. “John and Shelley were amazing letting me stay an extra week with them, but I need to leave. I’ve only got a few suitcases, so it won’t be a big deal changing rooms. How long do you think the remodeling could take?”

Steve didn’t want to disappoint her any more than she already was, but he had to be realistic. “Depending on what you decide to do, it could be two or three months before the house is livable.”

“That’s not too bad,” Eden said with a forced optimism. “It’ll be worth it in the end.”

As they collected Rex from the backyard, Steve imagined what it would have been like if they’d bought the house together. Except, unlike Eden, he had a fairly good idea of what it would cost to fix all the issues. And, if he was being completely honest, it was the worst house anyone could have bought.

Eden stoodat the back of the classroom at the local elementary school, watching the students in Diana’s class.

She checked her watch for the hundredth time and took a deep breath. Volunteering in the school was good for her. The children were bright and eager to learn, and she enjoyed working alongside Diana.

Today, however, was different. The principal had announced a lockdown drill for the afternoon, and Eden couldn’t shake the anxiety bubbling inside her chest. She tried to focus on the lesson and helping Oscar with his math problems, but the anticipation of the drill loomed over her.

The bell rang, signaling the start of the moment she’d been dreading. Diana immediately sprang into action, her calm and composed movements a stark contrast to Eden’s rising panic.

“Okay, everyone, remember what we practiced,” Diana told the wide-eyed youngsters. “Quietly and quickly, move to our special corner and stay low.”

The children moved with surprising efficiency, huddling together in the corner of the room, their small faces filled with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Diana locked the door and pulled down the blinds, creating a dim and quiet space. Eden’s heart pounded in her chest as she sat beside Diana, trying to keep her breathing steady.

Diana reached out and held Eden’s hand. “You’re doing great,” she whispered.

As the principal’s voice came over the intercom, explaining that it was just a drill, the noise and chaos from her past flooded back. She remembered the terror and confusion of that day in Boston, the sound of gunshots coming closer, and the desperate attempt to protect her students. Her hands shook as she tried to push the memories away.

Oscar, noticing her distress, reached out and took her other hand. “Miss Taylor, are you okay?”

Eden forced a smile, squeezing his hand gently. “I’m okay, Oscar. Thank you for asking.”

Diana’s voice was a soothing anchor. “You’re all amazing. Just a few more minutes and then we can go back to our desks.”

Eden focused on Diana’s calm presence, drawing strength from her. She took a deep breath, reminding herself this was a drill, that they were safe. The children needed her to be strong, just as much as they needed Diana’s calming presence.

When the all-clear signal finally came, the relief was palpable. Diana unlocked the door and raised the blinds, letting in the afternoon light. “Great job, everyone. You handled that perfectly.”

The children resumed their activities, their laughter and chatter gradually filling the room again. Eden let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding against her chest.

Diana walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You did well, Eden. These drills can be tough, but they’re important.”

Eden nodded, grateful for her understanding. “Thank you. It’s just... it brings back a lot of memories.”

“I understand,” Diana said softly. “I was surprised when you said you wanted to be here for it. How are you feeling?”

Eden held out her trembling hand. “A little wobbly, but I’ll be okay. I have to come to terms with what happened, and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you did amazingly well.” Diana gave her a quick hug before helping a student with a math problem.

An hour later, as Eden packed up her things, she reflected on today’s experience. Despite the fear and panic, she’d managed to get through the drill. It would take time to manage the terror she sometimes felt, but being in the classroom again, helping the children, was a step in the right direction.

As she walked out of the school, Steve was waiting for her. Rex wagged his tail happily beside him.

She’d told Steve about the drill, and he’d insisted on meeting her after school finished. A wave of gratitude washed over her when she saw the kindness and worry in his gaze. She wasn’t alone in this journey. With friends like Steve, she knew she had the support she needed.

He greeted her with a warm smile. “Hey, how was the drill?”

Eden smiled back, feeling the tension of the day disappear. “It was... challenging, but good. It brought back some tough memories, but I was okay.”

Steve’s expression softened. “I’m glad it went okay. I was thinking about you all afternoon.”

Eden’s heart melted. He was the most genuine person she’d ever met. Apart from not telling her about his successful career, there was nothing he’d said or done to make her think he was anything less than perfect.

After she’d said hello to Rex, she held Steve’s hand. “Thank you for being here.”

His fingers tightened around hers. “I had to come. It’s not easy confronting the things that keep you awake at night.”

Eden sighed. “Do you know what the worst thing is?”

Steve shook his head.

She looked into his eyes and gathered her thoughts. “The worst thing is realizing the memories you have of the day are worse than the reality. My brain has added layers of emotion to the little boy’s actions that were never there. He was angry with a classmate, so he shot them. He didn’t over-analyze his emotions and he didn’t second-guess what he was about to do. His brain simply said shoot, and he did. I was the one who tried to rationalize what had happened. I told myself there was more to the day than what there was, and it hurts even more because of it.”

Steve placed his hand against the side of her face. “It sounds as though you’ve found peace with what happened.”

She leaned into him and sighed. “I’m much better than I was. How about we go to The Starlight Café? I’ll ask Andrea to make us one of her monster ice cream bowls.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure we can eat a dozen scoops of ice cream?”

“I don’t know.” Eden laughed. “But we can give it a go.” His slow smile made her heart race for a completely different reason.

As they walked toward the café with Rex trotting happily beside them, Steve told her about his day.

After sending two commission pieces to different clients, he’d had lunch with Owen. After a lot of discussion, Owen hadn’t changed Steve’s mind about displaying a few of his smaller pieces at a local art exhibition.

To Eden, it sounded like it could be a lot of fun, but Steve was less enthusiastic. When he told her Natalie Armstrong’s paintings would be in the exhibition, she was astounded.

“Do you know who Natalie is?” she asked Steve as they waited to cross the road.

He looked over her shoulder. “Owen mentioned something about her exhibiting at galleries around the world.”

“She’s super famous,” Eden told him excitedly. “I met her at Shelley’s baby shower. Her paintings are stunning and she’s incredible. You have to exhibit your work with her.”

Steve kept hold of her hand as they crossed the road. “Are you the same person who told me fame and fortune don’t matter?”

“You won’t make thousands of dollars from a local exhibition,” Eden said with a grin. “But Natalie’s a lot like you. She values her privacy, but she’s also very humble. She deliberately keeps a low profile because she doesn’t want what she does to change how people see her.”

“You think I’m humble?” Steve asked.

Eden laughed. “And super-talented, adorable, and a general, all-round nice guy.”

“You’d better stop before my ego explodes.”

“It’s great you’ve found a career you love, Steve. When it earns you enough money to have a comfortable life, it’s even better. A lot of people would love to be in your shoes.”

He sighed. “And would those same people like to see me exhibit my work alongside Natalie’s?”

Eden’s breath caught. “Yes, yes, and triple yes!”

“In that case,” Steve said with a smile. “It looks as though I’m going to be part of Owen’s exhibition.”

And with the anticipation of seeing some incredible art in Sapphire Bay, Eden opened the door to The Starlight Café. There wouldn’t be a drop of ice cream left in the bowl now.